Sermons of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

What is a covenant? Generally it can be defined as an agreement or a pact that two parties enter into on the basis of prearranged conditions. What must it mean that God has entered into a covenant with humanity? In this sermon titled “The Covenant of Grace in the Old Testament,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones gives a brief survey of God’s covenants with humanity throughout history, highlighting God’s covenant of grace as revealed in the Old Testament. God has promised to be a God to people, and this is significant because all have sinned against God, yet He has made a way for them to declare that He is “my God.” God can be known through Jesus Christ, their mediator who is seen in the New Testament. Thus, the covenant of grace has been administered in two parts, the old and the new. Here, Dr. Lloyd-Jones focuses on the covenant of grace administered in the Old Testament. God’s covenant of works with Adam, God’s covenant of common grace with Noah, God’s covenant of justification by faith with Abraham, and God’s covenant of law with His people at Sinai are different yet intertwined. Ultimately, they all culminate in the person and work of Jesus Christ. If one looks for the gospel in the Old Testament, they will most certainly find it in what is known to be the covenant of grace.

Before the creation of the world, before the beginning of time, God had a plan to redeem the world. In this sermon on God’s plan of redemption, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones boldly proclaims the truth of God’s eternal design for the work of Christ. Before the foundations of the earth, God the Father, in His sovereign plan, chose to predestine a people through the atoning work of his Son, Christ Jesus. Though all are fallen and in sin, God through Christ, works to bring about not only a new people, but a new creation. Where Adam fails to keep the covenant of works with God, Christ the new Adam accomplished redemption for humanity through the incarnation and through His atoning work on the cross. This salvation is planned by the Father, acquired in Christ, and applied by the Spirit. Therefore, salvation is the work of God alone. This is the message of the Old and New Testaments, and it is revealed to God’s people through God’s word. This salvation is not the work of humanity, nor is it an afterthought in the mind of God, but redemption is the plan of history from before the world began. The eternal covenant between the Father and Son is the plan, and by the work of Christ it is brought about for His people.

How has the fall of Adam affected all of humankind? In this sermon on original pollution, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones seeks to answer this question as he expounds on humanity’s state after the fall. He speaks of how the sin of Adam has not only rendered all guilty, but it has corrupted their very soul. This pollution does not change the substance of the human soul, but it bends and inclines it to evil continually. This does not mean that people do not conform to any notion of good, but it means that they do no spiritual good. While people have knowledge of God, it is not a saving knowledge and is suppressed in unrighteousness. This sinful nature alienates all from the righteousness of God. The principle of sinful humanity, the flesh, is not something that merely marks the body, but it corrupts both the soul and body. All are born in this darkness and iniquity. Though they are polluted and totally opposed to spiritual good, God promised that He would provide a savior that will redeem His people from sin. Though all are guilty and polluted, God in Christ is reconciling the world to Him in order to bring about a new people and new creation.

Why is there so much sin in the world? In this sermon titled “Adam’s Posterity and Original Sin,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines the biblical teaching that Adam’s sin affects all. When Adam rebelled against God, he brought the whole human race into sin. Now everyone is born into a state of sin and alienation from God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones examines some different theories of exactly how it is that Adam’s first sin brought all of humankind into sin, but the important thing to remember is that the Bible teaches that all are affected by sin. Paul is clear that all are guilty before God, not only because they have broken the law of God, but also because of Adam’s actions. This doctrine explains why the world is full of sin and evil. But this doctrine is also important to understand in order to have a right view of what Jesus has done. Scripture says that Jesus is the new and better Adam who has come to reverse the evil actions of the first man.